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Orchestra of Sound and Light works with schools in South Downs project

The digital education resources and newly commissioned works will help emerging composers to write music and be inspired by the South Downs.
Seven Sisters
Seven Sisters - Courtesy South Downs Songbook

Brighton-based Orchestra of Sound and Light has created a new compilation of songs, compositions and digital education resources as part of the South Downs Songbook project. 

The newly commissioned songs will be performed in a tour from 20 – 30 June by the Orchestra of Sound and Light, working in partnership with Create Music and West Sussex Music. 

The project will also work in schools and colleges across East Sussex and Brighton & Hove to encourage young people to compose their own works. 

As part of the project, Duncan Mackrill, the songbook's education consultant and chair of West Sussex Music, is curating an extensive pack of free digital resources for teachers and students to help with the composition side of GCSE and A Level Music, which will be available from 20 June. 

Available until 2023, the pack includes interviews with the four composers, extracts from their scores, introductions to each instrument and sound files.

Duncan commented, 'I am excited to be working on the digital resources pack to stimulate young people to create their own composition in response to the South Downs brief and support them through the composing process'.

Tickets are free for the festival but registration is required. 

The festival is supported by South Downs National Park Authority, and is funded by Arts Council England. Its partners include BHASVIC, Hastings Academy, East Sussex Academy of Music, West Sussex Music, Create Music (Brighton & East Sussex Music Hubs). 

www.orchsoundlight.org/tickets